


listen before i go

by DrewWrites



Series: DCTV One Shots [3]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst, Author may still be bitter, Crisis on Infinite Earths Crossover Event (CW DC TV Universe), Love Confessions, M/M, Olivarry Week 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2019-06-26
Packaged: 2020-05-20 07:51:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19372414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrewWrites/pseuds/DrewWrites
Summary: Barry finds out what deal Oliver made with The MonitorFor Olivarry Week day 4 - free day





	listen before i go

**Author's Note:**

> Hey I actually did something for Olivarry week
> 
> Yes I know I already wrote a stevetony fic for this song, but it fits too perfectly with Olivarry

“What did you do?” Barry asks when he comes home to see Oliver standing in his living room, dressed in his gear. The Monitor standing behind him. 

Oliver gives him a smile, one that’s hollow and forced, but still filled his fondness.

“Hello to you too, Barry,” Oliver says, his voice so unusually _sad_. Barry’s heart fills with dread, and he turns to The Monitor.

“The crisis you were talking about, it’s happening now, isn’t it?” Barry asks. The Monitor nods.

Barry looks to Oliver, who nods. Oliver’s eyes are unusually expressive. For the first time, Barry can see sadness and regret and longing planly painted across his face. The man is clearly lost and out of his depth. Barry yearns to reach out and touch him, to gather him in his arms.

“I’ll call the team.”

* * *

The battle is long, every person on the field drawn beyond exhaustion. Barry sees so many heroes fighting with everything they have and more, and he sees so many get knocked down. They all keep getting back up, but it’s not enough and they all know it.

“I have an idea,” Oliver says over the comms. Something in Oliver’s voice puts Barry on alert. Something reluctant and resigned. Suddenly he’s remembering Clark saying that it was destiny for him and Kara to die, he’s remembering being shocked when he lived, and he’s remembering Oliver denying having done anything. Because he hadn’t done it yet.

“Oliver, if you’re about to do what I think you are, don’t.” Barry’s voice wavers. He fights off the enemy’s climbing towards him, and begins searching the field for Oliver.

A few of their friends voice confusion over the comms.

“Nothing else is working. Just trust me.” Oliver’s comm clicks off.

Barry finally spots him on the edges of the battle and rushes towards him, ignoring the panicked voices of his friends. 

He skids to a stop a couple feet away from Oliver, ripping off his cowl. He turns off his comms, too.

Oliver keeps his back towards Barry.

“Ollie?” Barry questions, his voice coming out quieter than he intended. Oliver sucks in a breath and turns to Barry, his eyes wide and terrified and so unlike anything Barry has ever seen in his eyes. So unlike the sadness and the hurt. It makes Barry take a half step towards him.

“It’s me or,” Oliver shifts back and forth on his feet, “It’s me or you. That’s a no brainer.”

Barry shakes his head vigorously.

“There’s always another way. There has to be.” Barry’s voice cracks and fizzles out, and he tries to swallow down the tears flooding his face. Oliver walks closer to Barry and grabs his arms, forcing him to look Oliver in eyes.

“I’m sorry Barry, you can’t fix this one,” Oliver says. A breath shudders through Barry.

“You wouldn’t let me die I won’t let you,” Barry tries. The fear in Oliver’s eyes is dulled by a fond smile.

“It’s different this time Barry,” Oliver slides one hand down to Barry’s, wraps it in his grip tight, “No one can save me this time. It’s okay. Let me go.”

Barry’s body lurches forward into Oliver’s, his head falling to Oliver’s neck, his free arm wrapping around Oliver’s shoulders. Oliver squeezes his eyes shut, holds on to Barry as tightly as he can.

“I’m sorry,” Barry murmurs against Oliver’s skin.

Oliver gently prys Barry away and guides his eyes to look into his own, hand resting against Barry’s face.

“You don’t have anything to be sorry for. This is not your fault and it will never be your fault,” Oliver wipes away Barry’s tears, “I’m sorry it had to end like this.”

As soon as Oliver starts leaning in, Barry closes the distance and covers Oliver’s mouth with his own.

Barry isn’t sure if it’s just him crying anymore.

“You told me a year ago that you didn’t make that deal. That you weren’t leaving me,” Barry says.

“I’m sorry I lied to you,” Oliver says, moving to pull away. Barry’s grip tightens.

“You’ve been alone and afraid this entire time and I didn’t- I couldn’t-”

“Barry it’s okay, you’re safe, you’re all going to be safe, that’s all that matters now,” Oliver replies. His eyes begin to get watery as Barry’s face crumbles to pain.

“Don’t say that. Please. You’ve sacrificed so much. This isn’t fair Ollie. Please let me fix this, let me figure something out like we always do. I can’t lose you, too Oliver, I love you, you can’t-” Barry’s sentence gets cut off by the sobs bubbling in his throat. 

Oliver grabs his face again and tries to put every ounce of regret and sadness and love and longing that he possibly can into the kiss. Barry feels like he’s going to shatter because Oliver is holding him so gently and it’s not _enough._ It’s not enough to keep him here.

“I have to go,” Oliver says, his voice shaking, bending, then breaking. Barry grabs his hands, and more tears fall over his face.

“Please,” Barry whispers, _pleads_ , one last time. Oliver sucks in a breath.

“I’m sorry it had to end like this, but this is my decision and I don’t regret it. Tell-” An explosion goes off, yards from the two heroes. Oliver presses one more kiss to Barry’s forehead.

“Tell them that for me. I love you,” Oliver’s hands slip out of Barry’s, his back turns, and he’s walking away from Barry for the last time.

Barry can feel the ground shuddering and shaking beneath his feet, and he falls to his knees, puts his head in his hands, refusing to watch Oliver go. 

The battle slows to a stop, and the pain in Barry’s chest releases in a scream.

**Author's Note:**

> This could probably be seen as a prequel to Sacrifice idk.
> 
> Check out my tumblr: apieceofandrewforyou


End file.
